Faction Ouroboros in Eclipse (TSO/Tsis'kaar)

[Darth Ophidia]

Krayiss II
After the Battle of The Malsheem
First Congregation of the Tsis-Kaar

It was only a matter of time before one enemy or the other swallowed the Krayiss system.

Knowing this full and well, it was the chosen location for the first official congregation of the Warlord State known as Tsis'kaar. This was, after all, where it all began. After the death of the One Sith, the galaxy at large took a breath of relief, not knowing what darkness would soon rise in the shape of the Sith Empire. It was in that time Darth Ophidia first came to Krayiss II. When it fell into the hands of the Empire, she had been responsible for rebuilding it.

Now she wished she could seal it all away for the return of the Sith.

The followers of her warlord state, her subjects and soldiers, gathered in the labyrinthine canyons of the ancient sith world. Not all could fit within view, but they observed through drones or from ships in orbit. Others watched in their secret lairs on strange worlds, channelling the event through secret and encrypted sites. Their form of dress was diverse, but black bands and dark cloaks bound them together in uniform. Their voices were buzzing with quiet conversations and high expectations. The buzz then cut to hushes and silence as a dark-cloaked figure appeared on the central rock. The bald, slender woman who looked up at the gathering crowd with her eyes like embers was to some a figure of myth and legend.

She was Darth Ophidia.

She was the Tsis-kaar - Their keeper and their guardian. The one who would bring the Sith Order back to power. As she stepped out and raised her hands toward the sky, the dull light of the distant sun darkened. The contrasted light of the Krayiss sun wreathed around the edge of the moon like a serpent.

"Behold the eclipse!"

"The eclipse is the herald of our arrival. As Ouroboros encircles the dark moon, so will we ensnare the galaxy and cast it into an endless darkness." "We have waited long in the shadows of others, of would-be dark lords who clamored for power only to falter and fall short come the breaking of the final chain." "The Sith have gone astray. They have lost touch with their roots and their legacy. We have lost our purpose."

"I will be your purpose; I will be your will."

"And by my hand we will find our way to true power again!"

Objectives:

1. Gather Resources: Krayiss II is rich in old resources hidden since the fall of the Sith Empire. Take what you need and bring it with you to rebuild our future elsewhere.​
2. Meet your Allies: Many Tsis'kaar cells have never met before. Look around and find new acquaintances. Test each others' powers if you desire.​
3. Secure the Perimeter: Enemies may be lurking around every corner. Ensure that none live to tell the tale.​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Meet your Allies
Location: Krayiss II, site of the Congregation
Equipment: Lightsaber, Dagger, Armor
Tags: Darth Ophidia
--------------------------------------------

Amongst the assembled followers and subordinates to the Pale Assassin, Alisteri did his best not to stand out. Being summoned back to Krayiss II was almost nostalgic, were it not for having to cross through enemy space just to arrive on the planet. His hands were crossed behind his back and he kept relatively close to the center of the crowd as his master gave her speech, his gaze briefly flickering up to glance at the eclipse. Oddly enough he couldn't recall having seen one until now. How fitting.

He bowed his head respectfully as her speech concluded, his hand moving up to tap on his helmet's commlink. "The Congregation has begun. Recover what you can and do your best to keep out of the way of our allies. We have a good first impression to make." :"As you command High Priest.": While he had no intention of bringing his cult along for the politicking, they could assist in reclaiming the planet's resources just fine.

His hand dropped back down to his side as he glanced around the crowd. Given the secretive nature of his master, he had only met a small handful of her associates in his time in the Sith. Now though, many of them would be right here or have some sort of representative present. If he was to make his master proud then he would have to do a little bit of politicking for once.

"Let's hope I remember how these little meetings go..."

 

[Iasha Rha]

Alina Tremiru

The Assassins, the Tsis'kaar, it had always seemed so small to Iasha. All she had ever seen were her immediate associates and a handful of the masters who trained them or gave out missions. Never for a moment had she conceived of the sheer size and scope of the network. Now, the canyon was filled to the brim, and there were yet more scattered across the galaxy.

Iasha was equal parts impressed and sullen as she considered how small she truly were in the great weave.

The crimson twi'lek watched the Tsis'kaar's speech from one of the cliff-sides, near small cavern in which a meeting soon would take place.

It was known that Iasha had contacts within the burgeoning organisation known as the Inquisitorius, and they wanted to establish a line of communication between the two. Rumours were that their goals could align.

Perhaps this was a chance for Iasha Rha, Sith Acolyte, to show her quality.

When the speech ended, the twi'lek pulled her hood over her head and slipped back along the narrow switchback path to the meeting place. It was sparcely decorated, with faded murals on the wall and an electric lantern set on a rickety coffee table with two simple chairs. It was not much in terms of comfort, but it was an honest space; there were no tricks, ruses or veiled threats.

It was just her.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Well this was a surprise.

Alina had kept back, listening. Watching. Alisteri's master certainly knew how to make a show, and without grandiose speeches at that. Sometimes straight to the point was needed. Grant it, she wasn't here to join Alisteri or be part of the Tsis'Kaar. Not directly. As the speech ended she slipped into the room she'd been requested to wait in. Found a chair to sit down in, leaned back comfortably.

Her golden eyes flashed as she watched the familiar red form of a friend. Or, who was a friend at one point. Ally? Rival? Enemy? There was no telling where this was going to lead.

But Alina was ever curious.

"Hello, Iasha. Good to see you out of the bunny suit."

Iasha Rha

 

[Neesa]

N E E S A​

It was dangerous being here. Every sense was hypersensitive, her mind racing and seeing danger in every shadow, in every movement of the air. Neesa had been a part of something this large before and had watched the Empire crumble around her. She had been discarded several times.

Neesa looked after herself now.

The only reason she attended such a public gathering was because she feared that those who did not attend would be noted. Everything was a careful transaction. She worked for the Tsis'Kaar but it needed to benefit her in turn. Risk was always exchanged as much as anything of value. Exposing herself to a little risk was necessary. Despite all her safeguards, if they saw her as unloyal there was a risk of being hunted down.

The speech was concluded, short as it had been. Neesa took a half step back into the ample shadows. She waited, sensing out the flows of movement of people, of factions and forces dropped into this smelting pot. She wasn't one to put herself into the light at a moment like this.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Tags: Alina Tremiru​

"And here I thought liked what you saw. Alina."

Iasha pulled the cloak off and threw it over the back of opposite chair. With a flick of her head she corrected her lekku before pulling out a seat of her own. She seemed to favour her right leg, more so than last time, and supported herself on the table while she sat.

"You have done well for yourself lately. I have tried to keep tabs."

Her mouth curved into a smile, not condescending or wry, just a smile. One could be forgiven for forgetting what she had become and who she served. Iasha did not mean for it to be a trick, but at a certain point, it became hard to tell when she was honest or when she tried to influence someone.

It was a minor sacrifice for the power she had gained.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Oh I loved it, but I doubt you were dressing for me. Unless of course you've got another on under that robe?" She flashed a teasing grin before lifting a hand. The Force shifted, and from the table her own cup lifted. Showing off, certainly. But hey, Alina could show off once in a while. And what better than to show not just her own accomplishments but that of Iasha's own allies?

"Struggle enough, and something will come of it. Just like in that tomb. We've both truly changed, haven't we? Sacrificed to get stronger and survive." Her smile faded. There was business to be had between the Inqusitorius and the Tsis'Kaar, but the Sangnir had far more personal questions for the girl who was once her friend.

"What have you sacrificed?"

Iasha Rha

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Ophidia stood under the eclipse as it showered the congregation in shadow. Some among the crowd chanted, some roared, and others watched in stoic silence. The Rattataki was not one for soaring speeches, but she knew how to construct a moment that would be ever immortalised. Her ember eyes surveyed the crowd, the dark mass sworn to her will.

She saw her apprentice, the newly knighted Darth Strosius, Darth Strosius . It was uncommon for him to attend gatherings such as these, but it would seem his recent revelations had helped him mature. She did not wave, but he would feel her attention and perhaps the unfamiliar sense of approval.

It was then her eyes caught the shape of Neesa . It was a rare sighting as the Nagai assassin had worked long under cover, far from central command. Ophidia extended an ink-black hand, as if calling Neesa to her side, much to the confusion and chagrin of those already expecting to be recognised.

 

[Neesa]

Neesa stayed quite still. She remained in that state as long as she dared, before it could be taken as an offence against the Tsis'Kaar's wishes.

In those brief moments she appraised the sith around Darth Ophidia, weighing up where the danger would lie. The shadows extended far because of the eclipse and yet she was being dragged out of them.

She stepped forwards slowly, always keeping her balance. The danger would not arrive in the form of an attack now, but she always remained poised. The danger would manifest later, if any of the sith perceived her as some kind of threat.

Neesa was no longer interested in ceremony or jostling for power. Her interests had turned to material things and ensuring she was appropriately compensated for her work.

She offered a subtle bow as she came to stop. Her eyes remained perfectly level.

"How many I serve?" She asked softly. She hated the word. Hated everyone who had used her for their own purpose over the years. In this setting, in this moment, tradition and appearance were for her own survival.

Surviving was something Neesa had become quite adept at.

 

[Iren Tel Alam]

Iren was not a member of the Tsis'kaar.

In fact, he had never heard of them, nor of its illustrious leader.

He was on Krayiss II for entirely different reasons. To tour one of its ancient temples and to see if it contained any interesting critters. This was what Iren was up to most of the days. Scouting out different worlds classically aligned with the Sith. Explore a tomb or two. Hopefully pick up a few specimens if he was really lucky.

Little did Iren know that this time around he was garnering the attention of others.

It all started with walking into a tomb that was already being monitored by the Tsis'kaar for their own purposes. He did have a feeling of being watched, but that's not an unusual occurrence in a Sith tomb.

Difference here?

A lack of awareness he walked straight through a sensor applied by the Assassins days ago to monitor any entrees that weren't authorized.

"Oh, this looks neat." Iren murmured to himself as he knelt down and studied a particularly shiny beetle. "I wonder if it is poisonous..." And Iren sounded very giddy about it.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Tags: Alina Tremiru​

A small chuckle, her lip cocked in a grin on the comment of her previous choice of disguise.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

The turn of the conversation brought a serious tone to Iasha's eyes, but a hint of that cocked smiled remained on her lips as she listened and considered. What indeed had she sacrificed? It was a question with different perspectives.

On one hand, one could say she sacrificed her family by not helping them out of Jaminere before the Bryn'adul came. On the other hand, one could say she never had a chance of saving them to begin with.

One could say he sacrificed her "life" in the form of her freedom and privilege when she sought to join the ranks of the Assassins. After all, Iash'arha of Jaminere was dead on paper. Of the friends she had from the days in the academy, Alina was the only one she had any contact with.

One could say she had sacrificed nothing that was truly dear to her, but that would be a lie.

"Us, I suppose." "At least, the we that we were." Her brow furrowed at the thought. "Everything changed after we went into that tomb. Everything fell, and yet something grew within me. I became something else."

Iasha lifted her eyes to look straight into Alina's

"And you? What did you become to survive?"

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Ophidia kept her hand extended until Neesa came within measure, close enough to touch if she so desired. She did not try it. Instead, her black hand vanished inside the sleeves of her robe while the assassin bowed before her.

"Neesa." Her voice drew out into a whisper "You honour us with your presence. And so, I wish to honour you with a task and a weapon with which to complete it."

From her sleeve, the Pale Assassin drew a long blade of glass tainted with stringy black clouds that glittered independent of their glass casing. Those knowing the traditions of sith assassins would know this weapon well: This was a shikkar, and a masterfully made one as well. Not a relic, this weapon had been recently formed and glinted with malevolent purpose. Darth Ophidia offered it to the young assassin, both as a symbol. a boon, and a commitment.

A shikkar meant that someone would die and the Sith were to make a statement of it.

"Will you take this charge that I offer?"

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Iren Tel Alam

The sensor pinged in Nethil's head, causing her eyes to blink open from her meditation. She looked around, as if she could see the origin of the ping where she sat. She could not, but it did give her a better idea of which alarm had been triggered. Interestingly, while the cave had several alarms reaching in through the cave to determine the size of group and their pace, only one triggered.

Meaning her intruder was standing still or somehow evading her alarms.

She stood up softly, legs creaking a little from shift. She stifled a groan and followed the small winding path along the top ridge of the ruin's entryway. Rumours were that this path was used by masters watching their students train, or perhaps spying on them as they conspired to kill their masters. Now, Nethil used it to watch someone else.

She slowed to a quiet crawl as she neared the entrance, then slid over on her belly. Her presence was subdued, blended into the background as she watched the white-haired man from above.

He seemed intrigued by the beetles.

Nethil climbed closer, her left hand turning unnaturally to give her sure grip as she turned slowly, surely, like a spider hanging above. Her foot twisted to give a new grip as she lowered herself even closer. In the end she could count the individual hairs on his head. Only then did she whisper.

"Do you mean poisonous or venomous?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

In an echo of Iasha's own words Alina spoke, calm as ever.

"Something else."

Everything had indeed changed in that tomb. Together, they discovered something that should've stayed buried. Not that anything would change now. She closed her eyes. No, her friend had died in that cave. The woman before her now had changed far too much to be the same.

"I suppose, we should get to business." She opened her eyes, the golden glow fiercely burning with an unspoken determination. The Inquisitorius would make sure to stand on it's own if it needed to.

Iasha Rha

 

[Iren Tel Alam]

Nan'eth'illa

Iren stiffened up as that husky whisper ran against the back of his neck.

"Poisonous, of course." Responded quite stiffly as the Sith recovered and attempted to casually look over his shoulder to his guest. "I'd like to know if ingesting it would cause certain death or not. Care to assist me with this?"

It was rather easy not to leap into trying to kill Nethil.

If the Chiss had wanted to kill him? She'd have had ample time to do so, when he was engrossed with the beetle. The fact that he was still breathing and capable of talking to her? Well, it meant that at the very least she didn't want him harm right now. This could change in a moment's notice, but that was not entirely relevant right now.

"Did I accidentally stumble into your tomb, ma'am?"

As he righted himself and now came face-to-face with his stalker.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Tags: Alina Tremiru​

Something else.

Somehow, the simplest words hurt the most. That cold echo of what she had said. Alina hid something. Had she misspoken? No, this was just the question everyone asked themselves when faced with uncomfortable truths. The fact was that the "they" that had been was gone. Would they be adversaries? Only time would tell.

"Indeed."

Iasha produced a small com device from inside her hand as if by magic. It slid onto the table between them and activated. A holographic screen of crimson emerged, filled with strange lettering. There was some ur'kittat, some aurebesh, some symbols unknown, parts appeared to be written backwards or upside down. It was a confusing cipher, and one Iasha seemed able to read with apparent fluency.

"In plain honesty, I believe we have aligned interests." "What is it the Inquisitorius truly want, what is your goal?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"The stability of the Sith, without those who'd already failed trying to claim dominion over the rest. Carnifex. Empyrean. They must die for the Sith to finally move on." No point in lying. With Alisteri part of these Tsis'kaar, Alina figured such beliefs would already be known by Iasha. Or at least, the Dark Lady behind them all. Alina's cold gaze narrowed further as she glanced to the cypher. Any attempt to solve it was quickly abandoned, though.

That was never her skill.

"The same can be said of the one you serve. If this Darth Ophidia continues on her path crushing those underfoot, she will be an enemy."

Iasha Rha

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Tags: Iren Tel Alam​

When he shifted to look at her, she pulled herself up then let herself fall to the ground, as softly as silk despite her many metallic parts. She moved softly both to not alert him, but also to avoid startling the beetle.

"In a matter of speaking, yes. Though I am not the one entombed in it."

Subtly, she purposely placed herself so he would have to pass by her to enter further into the cave. It also meant she was on the opposite side of the beetle. Her blood red eyes watched the insect carefully as she compared it to images of other beetles she knew.

"As for aid-" her head bobbed from side to side. "I could analyse its contents, but that would require a vivisection."

Then she looked up at him, eyes narrowing.

"Don't poisonous creatures often have strong signal colours?"

 

[Neesa]

Her grey eyes fell to the blade. She had been raised by members of the Sith race. She had always been an outsider to them, but her training had been steeped in tradition. Neesa knew the old ways of their kind, just as she knew the old magics that pre-dated the way they were often trained in the Force now.

Now came the delicate part. Setting an impossible task was a very good way to cull someone from the crowd. She had been singled out and could not seem defiant. Not here.

Neesa approached slowly before starting tk drop to one knee. It gave her time to think before accepting the shikkar.

"Abd who must die?" She asked quietly, such that only those closest could hear. If that task was beyond her then she would have to choose her next move very carefully.

 

[Iasha Rha]

Tags: Alina Tremiru​

Iasha looked down at the table for a moment. She had read the reports, both from Alisteri and other informants who had observed the Inquisitorius up until this point. And yet, she always learned more from hearing Alina say it herself. There was something in the tone, the choice of words, the little actions when she spoke. They said volumes. Her master would have said this information was adrift in the Force, but Iasha didn't know if she could siphon such intelligence yet.

"If you are referring to the Malsheem, then you should know as well as any that they needed to be brought to heel."

She did not seem to look at the cypher, but kept contact with Alina. There was nothing there she needed at the moment.

"The goal of the Tsis'kaar is to ensure that the Sith survive, that our teachings and our legacy survives."

Iasha remembered the ring of cultists in a dark tomb on Korriban, chanting around an urn. She remembered the ritual, and how it smelled when their bodies dried to husks before her very eyes, all to bring the Dark Lady back from the dead.

"Sometimes, that will require blood." Iasha's lips thinned. "But she is no Butcher King."